Rajasthan MLA Meena joins BJP

Jaipur, March 11 (IANS) The NPP merged with the BJP in Rajasthan on Sunday with MLA Kirodilal Meena joining the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Meena, the National People's Party (NPP) MLA from Lalsot, reached the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office here in the morning accompanied by his wife Golma Devi and supporters to rejoin the party after 10 years.

According a warm welcome to Meena, Raje said she was jubilant that one of their most dedicated workers was making a "ghar vapasi". 

"This is a very emotional moment for me and party workers and I have tears of happiness rolling down my cheeks.

"I welcome Meena with a warm heart and all the workers are quite excited with his return. This excitement and motivation needs to be the same till December elections as we need to work hard together to allow lotus to bloom in the state in the assembly elections," Raje said.

A visibly excited Meena said this was the "happiest day". "My ideology and the BJP's is the same as I have been a part of the RSS too."

State BJP President Ashok Parnami and other senior leaders were also present at the event.

MLA Geeta Verma and Golma Devi, who joined the BJP with him, said they were "proud to be BJP MLAs".

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Archana Sharma told IANS that "no permutation and combination in the state can help the BJP win in the ensuing elections. We will win the elections with a big margin".

A few months back, Meena announced that he will form a third front in the state.